I will never be Renzong

Chapter 190
After Xie Jiang's words fell, Zhao Zhen remained silent for a long time. He came from later generations, so he naturally understood that astronomy and astrology had little to do with natural disasters, and that things like floods, droughts, and earthquakes had almost nothing to do with those in power.

quite a while!Zhao Zhen said to Yan Shu, Minister of the Household Department, "Yan Qing is my child prodigy, my teacher, can you tell me who Xunzi is?"

Seeing this, Yan Shu, Minister of the Household Department, said: "Report to the official family! Xunzi was a native of Zhao State at the end of the Warring States Period. He served three times as the sacrificial wine at the Jixia Academy Palace in Qi State and twice as the order of the Chu Lanling Mausoleum. In his later years, he lived in Lanling County and wrote books. Accept apprentices and teach them, and die here, known as "Later Saint".

Seeing this, Zhao Zhen said: "I came across the book "Xunzi" by chance recently, and happened to see the article "Tianlun". If order is used, it will bring good fortune, and when it is responded to, chaos will lead to evil. If the foundation is strengthened and the use is used sparingly, then the sky will not be poor. Hunger, cold and heat can't make it sick, and monsters can't make it fierce. Heaven can't make it rich when it is famined and used extravagantly. It can't make it whole if it is nourished but not active. Heaven can't make it perfect if it doubles the way and acts recklessly. It is auspicious. Therefore, there is hunger before floods and droughts, disease before cold and heat, and fierceness before monsters. Receiving the time is the same as governing the world, but disasters are different from governing the world. You cannot blame the sky. The distinction between people can be said to be perfect. Yan Qing is a man of great learning, can you explain to me what this passage means?"

As soon as Yan Shu heard the official mention Xunzi, he basically knew what the official was thinking, and quickly clasped his fists and said: "The movement of heaven has certain laws, and it will not exist because of the sage Yao, nor will it perish because of the tyrant Jie." Yes. If the ruler cooperates with the sky with propriety and righteousness, it will be auspicious, and if the ruler cooperates with the sky with riots, it will be dangerous. If you work hard on agricultural production and save money, then the sky will not make people poor. If you take good care of it and act in a timely manner, then the sky will Can not make people sick. If there is no error in following the righteousness and righteousness, then God cannot add disaster to people, so floods and droughts cannot make people famine, changes in cold and heat cannot make people sick, and natural disasters cannot make people dangerous. Abandoned agricultural production and If the expenses are extravagant, then the sky cannot make people rich.

If the maintenance is simple and the action is against the clock, then the sky will not be able to preserve it.If one violates propriety, righteousness and righteousness and behaves mischievously, then the sky cannot make people auspicious.Therefore, there will be famine before floods and droughts, sickness before cold and heat, and danger before disasters.These accepted times are exactly the same as governing the world, but disasters and calamities are different from governing the world. You can't blame the sky, that's how things are.Therefore, if one understands the difference between the roles of heaven and man, one can be called a perfect man. "

Seeing this, Zhao Zhen said: "Okay! Very good! Yan Qing is worthy of being a well-educated person. I deeply agree. Do you have any other ideas?"

After the ministers didn't answer for a long time, Zhao Zhen said again: "If Si Tianjian can really devote his attention to observing and recording the movements of celestial bodies and stars, then he will find that the movements of celestial bodies and stars follow rules, and it will not Because the wise king is alive, it will not appear, and at the same time, it will not appear frequently because the tyrant is alive, in short, it has its own laws of operation."

As early as the Warring States period more than 1000 years ago, the later sage Xunzi had already provided the basis for our descendants. However, through the Qin, Han, Sui and Tang Dynasties, and the evolution to our Song Dynasty, many educated people, in the face of disasters, did not think about how to rescue them. To place hope on the illusory way of heaven is to be ignorant, to deceive people, and to have bad intentions. "

Xie Jiang refused to give up and said: "In the event of a disaster, I ask the officials to issue edicts to punish themselves, offer sacrifices and pray for blessings, reduce meals, and stop all unnecessary sieges. This will not cause any harm to the officials or the court." It’s just a matter of trivial matters!”

Li Di said: "Xie Hanlin used to only revise books and didn't know the situation of the officials in the palace. I discussed political affairs with the officials a few days ago, and accidentally passed noon, so I was kept in the palace to have dinner. The officials Lunch is only eight dishes and two soups, and four dishes and one soup in the evening. As for breakfast, it is even more frugal. There are few monarchs in history who can be so frugal! I would like to ask, thank you How many dishes does Hanlin have three meals a day?"

After Xie Jiang heard about it, sweat broke out on his forehead. The last time he attended a banquet in the palace was when Emperor Zhenzong was in power. At that time, every imperial meal consisted of hundreds of dishes. So frugal.

Zhao Zhen smiled and said: "Last year, the Royal Chamber of Commerce paid more than 3000 million yuan to the internal treasury. Even if I had hundreds of delicacies from the mountains and seas for every meal, I could still afford it, but I didn't do that because I never did. I don’t care too much about the food. Of course, these are all off-topic. I listened to what Xie Qing said just now. I also understand the general meaning. If it is an ordinary sacrifice to pray for blessings, I will still respect it. , because Saint Kong once said that you should keep a respectful distance from ghosts and gods. But it is also because of Xie Qing’s reminder that I suddenly remembered what I have forgotten to do since I became the emperor? "

The king once asked: "I don't know what you are talking about?"

Zhao Zhen replied: "Investigate things to gain knowledge! The way of university lies in Ming Mingde, being close to the people, and stopping at the ultimate good. After knowing and stopping, you can be calm; after being calm, you can be quiet; when you are quiet, you can be peaceful; when you are peaceful, you can think; Got it. Things have their roots and ends, and things have their beginnings and ends. Knowing the sequence is the shortest way.

In ancient times, those who wished to manifest their virtues in the world first ruled their country; those who wanted to rule their country first ordered their families; those who wanted to order their families first cultivated their bodies; Those who are sincere in their minds must first be sincere in their intentions; those who want to be sincere in their intentions must first express their intentions; the extension of knowledge lies in the investigation of things.

After knowing the nature of things, you will know it; if you know it, you will be sincere; if your mind is sincere, then your heart will be straight;From the emperor to the common people, all of them are based on self-cultivation.Those who are originally chaotic but not governed will not be able to carry on.What is thick is thin, and what is thin is thick, there is no such thing! "

"The sage Zeng has already told us how to do it in "University". It is simply summarized into eight items, that is, investigation of things, extension of knowledge, sincerity, righteousness, self-cultivation, family alignment, governance of the country, and peace of the world. You can read it Among the masterpieces left by the ancient sages, which book is extremely respectful and blindly worships ghosts and gods, even the "Book of Changes" and "Tao Te Ching" contain teaching people to understand the principles of life and obey the laws of nature, etc.!"

"So I think that when the country encounters a disaster, it is not only useless for the king to issue an edict against himself, but it will cause the people to panic and even cause chaos in the world. Just now Xie Qing said that he would denounce San Gong. It is to denigrate the three ministers under Zhongshu's sect, and denounce the three ministers as nothing more than a will, but the people who are replaced later often cannot take timely and effective measures to deal with the aftermath due to lack of experience, which makes the disaster more and more serious. Seriously, only a king who is so stupid would do such a thing, Xie Qing, is it because I am stupid?"

(End of this chapter)